Yesterday I found that there is some distortion on the playback. It sounds like some sort of noise modulation and is quite apparent when there is a quieter passage, or sudden level change. There is, of course, the lo-fi longitudinal track, but then the highs disappear and there is a noticeable hiss. The problem could be the tape, but more likely it is the playback machine. The $2000 Black Diamond is sadly gone, and I suspect the $200 VCR DVD combos left are not nearly as good with tracking.
As if the analogue tape shedding problem wasn't enough...